PM weighs in on pill testing after fifth drug-related festival death in six months

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has weighed in on the controversial issue of pill testing following the death of a teenager at a Sydney festival over the weekend.

Nineteen year-old Alex Ross-King from the Central Coast collapsed on Saturday night at FOMO festival at Parramatta Park, after a suspected bad reaction to illicit drugs. She was taken to Westmead Hospital but later died.

Mr Morrison expressed his condolences to Alex's grieving family.

"It's just heartbreaking. I just can't imagine the horror of what those parents are going though," he told Channel 9's Today show.

When asked whether New South Wales should adopt pill testing, the PM said he was sure Premier Gladys Berejiklian was "looking at every option".

"Of course all options are considered, but ultimately you've got to get the balance right. This is a state matter and I'm not going to complicate matters by saying which I think is the right option," he said.

We don't want to create a permissive culture around drugs in this country. These are illegal drugs.

Alex Ross-King, 19, who died at the FOMO Festival in Sydney on January 12, 2019.

Supplied: Facebook

Ms Berejiklian has doubled down on her opposition to pill testing.

"The NSW Government has the same position as the Victorian Government and that is we're concerned by the unintended consequences of pill testing," she told the Today show on Monday.

"Pill testing could unfortunately give people a false sense of security. What is most lethal is the ecstasy; people believing these drugs are OK when in fact it's not."

The Premier said pill testing doesn't account for doses or the adverse reaction a pure form of illicit drugs could have on a person.

"Unfortunately these deaths are caused by the ecstasy in the tablet. Pill testing doesn't deal with the overdoses. Pill testing doesn't deal with the fact that drugs and alcohol are a lethal combination. Pill testing doesn't deal with the fact that what's ok for one person's body isn't ok for another person's body," she said.

She said state and territory governments need to send "the strongest possible message" that drugs are harmful.

'We are deeply saddened'

Police arrested 36 people at the 11,000-strong FOMO Festival over the weekend. Three of the arrests were in relation to drug supply, while a further 27 were for possession.

FOMO organisers released a statement on Sunday sending their condolences to Alex's family for their loss.

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"We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our patrons of FOMO Festival in Sydney yesterday. The woman was with her family when she died at Westmead Hospital," the statement said.

"Our anti-drug messaging began weeks ahead of the event and continued at the event itself - a message we're proud to deliver and will continue to do so with unwavering commitment in order to keep our beloved patrons safe."

"FOMO Festival has always been clear that we do not condone the sale, supply or consumption of illicit substances."

"We are working closely with police on the matter and cannot provide further comment. Our hearts are with the family."

Last week a consortium of festival organisers wrote an open letter urging state and territory governments to reconsider their approach to pill testing.

The ACT Government is the only jurisdiction to give the practice the green light, with the first pill testing trial in the country carried out at last year's Groovin the Moo festival in Canberra.

Family pleads with Premier

Alex's grandmother and uncle spoke to Network Ten on Sunday, urging Ms Berejiklian to reconsider her opposition to pill testing.

"Premier, please: can we have this pill testing done? It's such a small thing to do, it's not hard. Let's try and get it out there," Ms Doig told Network Ten on Sunday.

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Alex's uncle Phil Clarke said politicians need to listen to the advice of harm minimisation advocates, who support pill testing.

"Strong leadership isn't always about sticking to an ideological decision or a position when there's possibly mountain [of] evidence or advice that maybe something else should be tried ... Strong leadership is trying something different."

Alex is the fifth person to die at a NSW festival of suspected drug overdose in the last six months. Another person died at a Victorian music festival just before New Year's Day, but toxicology results on the cause of death are yet to be released.